Social leaders, politicians, celebrities, artists and citizens in general reacted with shock this Saturday after learning of the death this morning of John Lewis, historic congressman and African American leader who died this Friday Of cancer. I was 80 years old.
Former Democratic Vice Presidents Jimmy Carter, Barack Obama and Bill Clinton, Republican politicians such as Georgia Governor Brian Kemp, and other social actors have valued Lewis’s work as leader of the civil rights movements. Lewis’s actions in the 1960s and later as a congressman enshrined him as a pivotal figure in American politics.
This Saturday morning, the White House waved its flag at half-staff in honor of Lewis’s death. Speaker of the House of Representatives Nancy Pelosi also ordered the flags be lowered on Capitol Hill.
After remaining silent for several hours, President Donald Trump tweeted that he was saddened by the news and sent his condolences to the family.
In January 2017 Lewis declined to attend the inauguration as President of Trump and expressed doubts about the legitimacy of his electoral victory due to the alleged Russian interference in the elections. Trump then lashed out at him, causing more than fifty Democratic lawmakers not to come to the inauguration in protest.
“Not many of us live to See that our own legacy unfolds in such a significant and remarkable way. John Lewis did it, “former President Barack Obama posted on Twitter, who in 2011 awarded him the Medal of Freedom, the highest civilian award in the United States.
“John Lewis gave everything he had to redeem America’s unfulfilled promise of equality and justice for all, and to create a place to build a more perfect union. In doing so, he became the consciousness of the nation,” published the former Democratic President Bill Clinton on social media.
“A civil rights icon, freedom fighter and beloved Georgian. This Friday he lost his battle with cancer. Our nation will never be the same without him. There are no words to adequately express the sadness that countless Americans feel when they hear this news, “wrote Brian Kemp, Republican governor of Georgia, state for which Lewis was a Democratic congressman for Georgia for 33 years.
“Everything he did was in a spirit of love. All Americans, regardless of race or religion, owe John Lewis a debt of gratitude,” he said. former Democratic Vice President Jimmy Carter through a statement.
For Republican Rep. Steve Scalise, Lewis was “a legend of the civil rights movement that never stopped fighting for equality and justice for all, even in its last days”. “The United States is a more perfect union because of the blood, sweat and tears that it sacrificed. I was proud to call him a friend,” he said.
Senator Kelly Loeffler, Republican of Georgia, called Lewis’s death a “tremendous” loss to the United States. “Few people have their courage, tenacity, or courage. Georgia and our entire nation are doing better because of your leadership and courage, “he said in a statement.
Luther King’s firstborn, Martin Luther King III, claimed on Twitter on Friday that Lewis “was a true treasure of the United States.” “He gave voice to the voiceless, and reminded each of us that the most powerful non-violent tool is voting. Our hearts feel empty without our friend, but we find comfort in knowing that he is finally free,” he added.
Rapper and music producer Sean John Combs also joined the wave of tributes:“Thank you King John Lewis for your service to our community. We will finish what you started IN THE NAME OF GOD! #GoodTrouble, “he wrote.
Oscar-winning actress Viola Davis honored him by thanking him for his “commitment to change and his courage”: “Rest in peace John Lewis. You did great in your time on earth.” Good evening, Prince. Flight of the angels sing to you in your rest. “And … pour some blessings on us,” he posted on Twitter.
Basketball player LeBron James, star of the NBA in the Los Angeles Lakers, called him a “icon” of civil rights on his Twitter account, where he has more than 46 million followers. James founded in early June along with other athletes an organization to mobilize the vote of the black community facing the presidential elections in November.
The National Association of Chosen Latino Officials (NALEO) mourned this Saturday the death of the historic African-American leader and Democratic congressman John Lewis, whom he called an “ally of Latin Americans.” “The American people have lost a giant with the death of Congressman John Lewis”NALEO President Ricardo Lara said in a statement.
“He continued to be an ally of Latin Americans throughout his career … serving as an unconditional moral compass through which to see justice and equity,” he added.
Arrested 40 times
Lewis was born on February 21, 1940 in Troy, Alabama (USA). Third of ten siblings in a family of African-American sharecroppers, he grew up on the farm his parents worked on at the time of racial segregation in the United States and attended a black-only college.
At age 20, he joined the civil rights movement inspired by the Rev. Martin Luther King and was among the first freedom riders, activists who got on segregated line buses and sat in the white seats.
He stood out as a civil rights leader in the 1960s, a stage when he was detained about 40 times.
A close friend of Martin Luther King, he was one of the promoters of the 1963 March for Work and Freedom in Washington, in which he was one of the speakers, preceding his speech by Luther King’s historic “I have a dream” speech. .
